


Get Out Alive

by KrazyKeke



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, 悪霊シリーズ | Ghost Hunt
Genre: Angst and Drama, Awkward Flirting, Canon Compliant, Canon Typical Horror, Don't copy to another site, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Horror, Kinda but not really, One-Sided Attraction, Romance, Secret Identity, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:01:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29328216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrazyKeke/pseuds/KrazyKeke
Summary: Running from her past as 'The Miracle Miko', or Taishō Kagome, the missing younger sister to Sesshomaru and Inuyasha; Kagome struggles to live her life under the alias 'Suzume Yamaguchi', a meek, chronically ill teacher at Ryokuryou High. The day that SPR decided to come and help her school forever changed her life. For good or ill has yet to be decided.(Slow updates)
Relationships: Higurashi Kagome/Lin Koujo, Shibuya Kazuya/Taniyama Mai, Takigawa Houshou & Taniyama Mai, Taniyama Mai/Shippo
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt or Inuyasha characters mentioned in the story, but I'm more of a fan of the quiet, intelligent Lin instead of the typical, narcissist Kazuya Shibuya/Oliver Davis

_Most species do their own evolving, making it up as they go along, which is the way Nature intended. And this is all very natural and organic and in tune with mysterious cycles of the cosmos, but after sleeping through a hundred million centuries we have finally opened our eyes on a sumptuous planet, sparkling with color, bountiful with life. Within decades we must close our eyes again. Isn't it a noble, an enlightened way of spending our brief time in the sun, to work at understanding the universe and how we have come to wake up in it?_

_I am still searching for the answer to this question…_

"Yamaguchi-sensei!" Ryokuryou's principal called sharply to the only woman in the room after having verbally torn the SPR team's profession to shreds. Hōshō Takigawatook note that the woman was very beautiful - he'd never seen eyes that exact shade of blue before, and wondered where she'd come by them, they were definitely not native, the inky long lashes laying softly against her cheeks didn't hurt the beauty of those eyes any, either. Her skin was pale but perfect, not a blemish or wrinkle on any part of her face, and her lips flushed a pretty pink.

Her hair was simply glorious, blacker than the sky at midnight, and deep blue highlights that were just as rare as her eyes, it was long, and instead of the traditional dead straight of most females, it waved down her back like a living banner, silky and with the most intoxicating scent; she was truly a goddess in human form.

"Hai?" The woman queried politely, her voice soft, her posture demure and it was as if she were trying to remain invisible, although her plan failed. "Seeing as your schedule is clear, please show them to the meeting room." The principal said straightening the papers on his desk. "Matsuyama, accompany her."

"Hai. This way, please…"

Yamaguchi was content to simply lead without speaking, although Matsuyama was extremely rude, commenting on Naru's age and blatantly implying that since he was young, he was naïvely using the occult as an outlet and a smokescreen to attract attention.

"M-Matsuyama-san, I-I don't think that was a polite thing to say to Shibuya-san." 'God, kill me now. This ridiculous weak act is nauseating…' "I think you should apologize, it would be the right thing to do."

"I'm not going to apologize to some brat when I'm the adult. Besides, women should be seen but not heard." Matsuyama sneered at his colleague, eyeing her in part disgust, part lust. "Perhaps I can teach you some manners, Suzume-chan…?'

'Manners, my left foot! You did **NOT** just make a pass at me you old fart…' "I'm sorry. I can't take manners from someone who learned his during the Stone Age. I don't believe I'd given you permission to call me by my given name." 'Ha! Didn't expect that did you, you chauvinist pig!' "You're on shorter schedules already, Yasuhara-kun?" Suzume asked with a soft smile at the black haired boy, ignoring her colleague who was gaping at her unexpected retort.

"Hai. It's good to see you feeling well today, Sensei."

"Mm, maybe it's because for once I feel hope since this whole thing started. Perhaps once this is over the students can feel safe once again…"

"You really care about students instead of the staff, huh?" Hōshō couldn't help but ask the question, her soft, genuine expression of pain and longing that occupied her features momentarily before effortlessly caught his attention and tugged at his heartstrings.

"'Don't try to fix the students, fix ourselves first. The good teacher makes the poor student good and the good student superior. When our students fail, we, as teachers, too, have failed.' This is the philosophy I've lived by since I made my decision to teach others years ago. I love it when a student succeeds and excels, just as I am hurt when they fail, they are simply children, wild and vulgar sometimes, this is true, but children should be nurtured and guided as much as possible before they are sent out into the cold, unforgiving world."

Before Hōshō could reply… "KYAHH!" "N-NO!"


	2. Chapter 2

Hōshō shoved the door open, his features concerned and alert. "What happened!?" He ran over towards the two female students sitting on the floor. "What's the matter!?"

One of the female students glanced up at the blonde haired monk, seeing more newcomers and even one of the few decent teachers, Yamaguchi-sensei. The presence of the kind woman allowed her to relax minutely and a tear slid down her cheek. "...The dog. It's that dog."

Naru and Hōshō turned to the classroom door, shoulders squared. "Wait... It's dangerous!" Although her words were obviously meant to be something of a deterrent, Naru opened the door, revealing a feral canine, whisps of smoke clinging to it's body.

"Grr….Grr!" And then it lunged at the duo.

"Huh!?" Comically, Hōshō's features twisted into one of fear. "Naru, get back into the hall!" Just in time, they managed to get out of the way as it leapt past them.

"It...It disappeared…"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" At the end of the hall, possibly having heard the commotion, a group of students had formed and one of the girls screamed.

"What _was_ that thing!?"

"Calm down."

"Return to the classroom…"

"Are you okay?" Mai asked, staring at Hōshō. "I'm fine." He assured her, preoccupied and lost in thought.

"But the girl…"

"Yuna-chan, let's go to the nurse's office." Speaking in a soothing voice, Suzume, rubbed the shoulder and back of the injured girl. "Do you think that you can get up on your own?"

"Oh, I can carry her." With only a small grunt of exertion, Yasuhara lifted her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Yasuhara-san, Yamaguchi-sensei, can you gather any students that were involved with psychic phenomena and divide them by incident?" Naru requested with the bare minimum of respect in his tone.

'Naru is a workaholic…' Mai thought to herself, internally rolling her eyes.

"A-ah, I'm sorry." Suzume bowed. 'Maybe he's not a phony. Maybe he really can help.' "I would like to, but I've got papers to finish grading after I make sure Yuna is in good hands with the school nurse." Leaning back up, she smiled and rubbed the back of her neck. "Please excuse us."

"Naru, what are you thinking?" Hōshō could practically see the wheels turning in the black haired boy's head. Predictably, Naru didn't tell him anything and he sighed, scratching his head. "What a great way to start our research case."

The SPR team, or rather, Naru interviewed the students while Hōshō wrote down what they said. Most incidents were similar in nature, but the one thing that stood out the most was that the majority of the teachers did not believe the students who were afraid to come to school and that Yamaguchi was the minority who believed the student populace.

"And someone said that they saw Sakauchi-kun. That they passed him in the hallway, or that he was standing in Yamaguchi-sensei's classroom."

"Sakauchi? Who's that?" Naru was curious.

"He's a freshman that committed suicide last September. Strange things started happening to our school around last fall. No, actually, ever since Sakauchi-kun committed suicide. I was wondering if any of these incidents had to do with that."

"Then that's why…" Naru flicked a page on the notepad. "It says here that you tried to get rid of the spirits on your own."

Slightly defensive but also determined, the girl being interviewed nodded, "That's right. We're not totally convinced this stuff is happening because of Sakauchi-kun's curse but we couldn't stand not doing anything, even though we didn't know how to fix it."

"Did you know him personally?"

"No, I didn't. I hadn't even heard of him until after his death, but anyway, his suicide note became well known at some point."

"A suicide note?"

"Yes, it said, 'I'm not a dog'."

There was a hush that fell over the classroom before Naru soldiered on with his normal businesslike brusque tone. "Do you know what he meant by that?"

"Yes. I think so, because even I feel that way sometimes when I'm at school. The school decides the length of our hair, and what color our belongings should be. We're constantly disciplined for how we talk and told how to behave. It's almost like training obedience for a dog. So I thought Sakauchi-kun must have held a grudge against the school."

'I'm not a dog…' It went through Mai's head in an unending loop and she felt a surprising amount of sympathy for Sakauchi.

"Holding a grudge against the school. Huh. I think I can understand that." Hōshō sighed and Mai half turned to face him, looking curious. "How?"

"Oh. You're a female student so you should have noticed. The school uniforms and hairstyles. Surprisingly, everyone seems to be following the rules. Not a single person has dyed their hair."

"I see, I see." Mai nodded, face mock thoughtful. "This isn't like going to school in the old days."

Hōshō crossed his arms over his chest. "Just how old do you think I am?"

The investigating continued well into the day, with students recounting instances about the strange odor in one classroom, the fire that happened every twelve days, etc.

"Lately, or actually since the second semester, Orikiri-sama, Gogen-sama, it basically is…"

"I have it here!" A female student rifled through her uniform skirt. "We haven't used this one yet. Look! This is very popular at school right now." She beamed happily as she held out a piece of paper.

"Huh? This…" Mai examined it carefully. "This is Kokkuri-san." Hōshō interrupted.

"Eh!? That's not right. Doesn't Kokkuri-san summon a fox spirit? Orikiri-sama summons God and guides us into relationships. Gogen-sama is…" The girl trailed off as Hōshō crumpled the paper up. "Oh no…"

"Gogen-sama, Hanako-san, Cupid-san, Angel-san, these are all different names for Kokkuri-san! Whatever the name may be, you're basically doing the same thing. You're just playing with the spirit out of curiosity."

"That's not true! I was told Orikiri-sama is God, so it's risk-free…"

"That is misinformation." He threw the paper away. "Even an amatuer can summon a spirit but you need to be trained to send them back where they came from. Don't ever try this by yourself!"

"You said it's really popular, so how popular is it?"

"Well, it's definitely all over school. There are more students that practice it than those who don't. I know for certain that Yamaguchi-sensei's class doesn't allow that. It's the one thing she doesn't tolerate in her class, or so I've heard."

"Why is that?"

"A-Ah, that is…" The girl looked down at her shoes, trying to avoid Naru's dark, "Sensei has a hard time believing in the occult, she says that everything has a logical reason and explanation."

'Sounds like someone we know…' Both Mai and Hōshō shared a secretive glance as they eyed Naru.

"But she wasn't always this way?"

The girl nodded. "Yes. I-I heard a rumor that Sakauchi-kun spent his lunch hours in her class and even after school. She stood up to Matsuyama-sensei several times for him as well."

"He was in love with her." Naru predicted.

"That's...that's what the rumors say."


	3. Chapter 3

As the assembled SPR team conversed with one another and decided on their duties, or rather, Naru assigned duties, there was a knock on the door to the classroom. Yasuhara glanced at the paranormal investigators one by one before focusing on Naru.

Naru nodded imperceptibly.

"Come in," Yasuhara called out.

The door opened. There stood Yamaguchi-sensei, arms laden with convenience store bags. John hurried to help relieve her of most of them. "A-ah, hello." With a slight incline of her head instead of a full bow, she entered the room. "I'd thought that you all might be staying overnight, and I finished grading a short while ago…" Setting the remaining bags down on a desk. "So I bought some prepackaged meals from the store."

"Sensei, you didn't need to do that!" Yasuhara adjusted his glasses, and much to Hōshō's amusement, he seemed to minutely lose his composure, looking slightly flustered.

"It was very generous of you." Naru acknowledged. "Do you plan to stay as well, Yamaguchi-sensei?"

"Please, you and your team are doing so much for the students. This is the very least I could do in return, it's just dango, onigiri, tea, and wrapped sandwiches." Suzume smiled, tone apologetic. "And while I'd like to, I'm afraid I can't stay tonight, Shibuya-san."

'Is it just me or is there some kind of tension between them…?' Mai wondered to herself, picking up on the fact that Suzume seemed to angle herself away from Naru slightly. It wasn't fear, exactly…Unease, perhaps.

"You should all be very careful." As Suzume is halfway to the door, these are the words she delivered, back to them so no one could see the expression she made. "The fires, they…" Here, she paused. "There are fire extinguishers in the hallways, on certain levels of the building."

"It'll be fine, Sensei," Yasuhara assured her, unusually serious.

"Y-yes, well…" Again, she seemed to struggle with what she wanted to say, pausing, and going silent for a minute or two. "...Alright. Goodnight, then." And then she was gone.

There was some tension in the room with her departure. Matsuzaki sighed loudly. "What exactly is her problem? Is she really being genuine with this token of what, gratitude?" Scoffing loudly, she put a hand to her forehead, exasperated.

"Ayako…" Mai piped up, giving her a disapproving look.

"Sensei cares a great deal about the investigation and it's success…" Yasuhara remarked. "As this is her first year teaching in a public school, I think she feels pressured to make certain that everything goes well. Especially with Sakauchi's unfortunate passing and his parents blaming her for his….drastic actions."

That caught Naru's attention. "It's her first year teaching…?"

"Public school, yes." Yasuhara nodded. "According to the rumor mill, Sensei taught in several private institutions and even home tutors individuals on her weekends and holidays."

Hōshō whistled. "That's some dedication!"

"Dedication or guilt." Naru murmured.

The SPR team worked hard over several days. Each time, just before going home for the day herself, Yamaguchi would bring convenience store food, reiterating that it was important to be cautious about what they were doing.

After the fire happened during the night, just as Mai's vision predicted, and the subsequent realization that Naru had hustled her during their first meeting/paranormal investigation, she was walking through the halls of the school, files clutched to her chest.

"Hey! How's your so-called "exorcism" going?" Matsuyama called out, tone mocking.

Mai turned to look at him, not saying anything for the moment.

"I heard that another fire broke out this morning. So you can't perform that exorcism or whatever, huh? I knew from the start that there weren't any ghosts. It's all a big fabrication. You're just scamming us for money, aren't you!?" Matsuyama continued to spew his vitriol, even taking a single step forward in Mai's direction. " _Aren't you_!?"

Mai clutched her files tighter. Then bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle. "I'm sorry, I'm working right now. Please direct all complaints to management. Excuse me."

As she turned to leave, Matsuyama, unable to allow her to have the last word and win this confrontation, called out from behind her. "Only people who cling to superstitions believe in ghosts. Isn't that right? Answer me! Like the idiots in my school."

Mai paused at that last statement, glancing back at him, much to his satisfaction.

"The ones who'll cling to the occult to the end of their miserable lives. Just like Sakauchi-kun." At this, he smiled, it was disturbing and mean. "What, you never heard of him? Why am I not surprised. That fool believed in the spirit world too!"

Mai is reminded of what Hara said before, about Sakauchi experiencing hardships while at school. "In other words, Sensei, you're not sorry that Sakauchi-kun's dead?" Tighter, she clenched the files, the urge to strike out at this deplorable man overwhelming.

"What? Who told you that!?" Matsuyama had the nerve to sound taken aback.

"Well, that's exactly what it sounds like you're saying!" Mai retorted.

There's a rattling sound down the hallway. "KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"W-What was that!?"

Mai ignored his foolish question and sprinted towards the source of the sound. Hand on the door to the classroom, she half turned when Monk-san called out to her.

"What happened?"

"No idea - I just got here too." And then she opened the door.

Inside the classroom, students are huddled up together in small clusters, trying to avoid attracting attention from the giant ghostly dog which had a desk inside its mouth. Yamaguchi stood not too far from it, none of her meek and passive attitude present, expression curiously blank, focused.

Mai fell back against Monk-san and Hara placed a hand over her mouth, expression shocked. 'Is this the same dog…?'

"Masaru-kun, duck!" Yamaguchi warned, and the male student did as instructed just as the dog shook its jaws, dislodging the desk and sending it flying against the windows, breaking it. The female students scurried away from the danger zone.

"Mai!" Hōshō yanked the girl out of the line of the spirit dog's sight as it edged closer. Suzume stood in front of them both, much to his horror. Before he could reach out and tug her back, the dog took one step back, growling fiercely, before it vanished from sight.

"Was that the spirit just now? It seemed almost real." Hara remarked, her kimono sleeve slightly muffling her voice but it was clear as day, her ponderings.

"Sensei...Yamaguchi-sensei!" One of the students came running up to the woman.  
"You're hurt…"

"I-It's fine…" With a wan smile, she placed her left arm behind her back. "Just a scratch. Nothing to worry about. I'll have the school nurse take a look at it."

"B-But, S-Sensei! You really should-"

Without any shame whatsoever, Naru cut the student off. "Are you certain, Sensei? Would you rather we call an ambulance instead?" Naru inquired politely, much to Mai's shock.

"No, I'd rather you d-" As she took a step about to leave the room, her knees buckled. Hōshō luckily caught her just in time too. Masako soon curled in herself as well, and then even Mai. Mai had front row seats to the unfortunate and most likely truly the permanent(?) end of Sakauchi as he was devoured by the bulbous spirit that she'd seen once before in her dreams.

"...hey...Hey! Are you okay?"

Mai blinked, realizing that she was on her knees, hands over her ears.

"What happened? You both just collapsed." Hōshō inquired, looking concerned.

Mai turned to look at the other girl. "Masako, did you see it too?"

Masako lifted her hands away from her face, revealing the fact that she's crying. "Yes. Sakauchi-kun, he vanished!"

Although Mai had been concerned about Yamaguchi-sensei, the students informed her that she was laying down in the nurse's room. Apparently, she'd skipped breakfast and simply fainted from exhaustion. It sounded like a convenient excuse to Mai but the student looked so desperately relieved that it wouldn't have been fair to express doubt about it.

Regardless, the investigation continued. The team realized that Orikiri-sama had been introduced to semesters ago in the Art club, which Sakauichi had been a part of, and not only that, the school had once been a Nara-era cemetery. As was the norm for these investigations, Mai encountered some trouble with children's spirits that thankfully couldn't get in and attack her, or, or worse. Also, there was a spirit in the nurse's room and somehow the entire floor collapsed, followed by the ceiling.

If Naru hadn't been there…

Much to Mai's shock though, she realized that it'd been decided that SPR was giving up on the case. Arguing with Naru, she tried to persuade him that he couldn't just give up, accidentally blurting out what her dream-Naru had said to her. That's when it was discovered that they weren't just dealing with spirits, but an ancient and obscure curse; a spirit kodoku. Thankfully, Lin was on the case as he proved to be invaluable as he further dissected the curse, breaking it down to reveal that it was a curse to commit murder.

"Every day, the students were innocent making the charms and performing the rituals. It just so happens that it was a means of possession to gather the spirits. And as a result, performing an aspect of the kodoku." Naru commented while looking at the innocent sheet of paper.

"That is what I suspect." Lin agreed.

"Once the kodoku is complete, what will happen?" Naru inquired.

"These people will die."

Naru's expression didn't change. "These people?"

"Hideaki Matsuyama-shi and Suzume Yamaguchi."

Mai swore it felt like her stomach had fallen out. "Matsuyama and Yamaguchi as in...uh…" Thickly, she swallowed. "What does that…?"

Unfortunately, she never got to finish her inquiry as the classroom door was thrown open harshly. Matsuyama entered the room and Yamaguchi was with him, her expression tight with agitation, though she tried to hide it.

"Aren't you ready to leave yet?" Matsuyama complained. "Do me a favor, pack your things, and go. There's nothing left for you to do here."

"I'm terribly sorry, but there's something we need to talk about." Naru ignored his vitriol with ease. "With both of you, actually."

"Hmm, what's left to discuss?" Matsuyama continued to be difficult, and he even rolled his eyes. Yamaguchi did none of this, she seemed...resigned. As if she had an idea of what was going on already.

"Sensei, I think you need to hear this."

"What is it about your fees?" Matsuyama sneered.

"You idi-" Thankfully, or not, Hōshō managed to cover her mouth just in time, preventing her from chewing him out due to his lack of class and respect and basic human decency.

"Don't you dare try to trick either of us. Nevermind, just leave now!" Matsuyama demanded with a severe expression on his face.

Naru, tired of conversing with this idiot, instead showed off the cursed charm in his hand. Yamaguchi's expression showed absolute devastation and disappointment, and it hurt Mai to see it. So all this time, the subtle, unsubtle hints Naru had dropped (for him) and the way she had reacted to the dog spirit…

Could it be that Yamaguchi-sensei…

"And who, might I ask, is the intended victim?" Matsuyama asked haughtily.

"It's us, you absolute buffoon."

The room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop. Matsuyama blustered for a moment, trying to formulate words to say something in retaliation, but Suzume leveled a glacial stare at him so potent and intent, that Mai, several feet away, could feel the freezing intensity of it almost. It's to the surprise of absolutely no one that he settled down, not daring to utter a word, barely even daring to breathe, it looked like.

Suzume breathed in deep, then exhaled. Glancing at Lin, her expression is mild. Reaching a hand out, she nodded her hand at the parchment in his hold. "May I…?" Lin handed it over without much protest. "...It does indeed say, Hideaki Matsuyama and Suzume Yamaguchi." Then she handed it back to Lin.

"Wha-"

"It's written in Sanskrit, which is completely unnecessary for playing Kokkuri-san, and the left side catalogs the age as well. It says fifty-three and twenty-seven years old this year."

"That's about your age, isn't it?" Naru addressed them both. Matsuyama looked mulish and Suzume merely nodded once, expression blank and composed.

"Good thing for us that the age was written in the standard legible way. If "Matsuyama" or "Yamaguchi" had been written this clearly, anyone could have guessed what was going on." Lin concluded. "I wonder why it was written in Sanskrit?"

"Who...who could have done this…?" Matsuyama was rattled, his voice hoarse.

"Invoking Orikiri-sama became popular within the first year Art club students," Naru stated. "But not everyone is capable of invoking this curse. Clearly it's a person to be reckoned with."

"Wait… Was it Sakauchi? What the hell was that idiot trying to do!? What the hell are you..."

"I've had enough…. Of your disparaging remarks regarding Sakauchi-kun." Suzume's voice was quiet in the beginning and had steadily gotten stronger, firmer. "Is it not enough that the poor boy ended his own life, and yet, still, _still_ you refuse to show even an iota of regret or a shred of respect by not dragging his name through the mud after his death?"

"Just because he had a stupid crush on you-"

"Yes!" It was almost a shout, and Mai flinched, startled. Suzume didn't look away from Matsuyama and her finger in his face. "Yes, he had a crush on me and he knew that I didn't return his feelings, to reciprocate would have been pedophilia, you **disgusting sack of flesh**. But you, _you couldn't help yourself,_ could you? Besides mocking his dreams and tearing him down at every opportunity, you enjoyed rubbing that in his face too. I begged his parents to withdraw him from this school. To go to the Board of Education and complain, get your teaching license revoked, but they didn't…They didn't..."

"Sensei…" Yasuhara took a step in her direction, concerned, as she placed a hand over her eyes.

"I tried to build him up, so he could keep going." Suzume's voice warbled. "He wanted to be a ghost hunter and I did my best to encourage his thinking that it was an acceptable career choice. I...I taught him simple spells of protection, how to make charms for good luck, things like that. I even promised to vouch for him to work at a shrine during the holidays."

"But he pushed you to learn more," Tokugawa stated.

Tears fell through her fingers and Suzume nodded. "He wanted to learn curses 'for research purposes'." Wetly, she laughed. It's a piteous sound. "I told him 'No' several times and one day he just stopped talking to me. I thought… I _wish_ he'd given up. One day in the summer last year, I came home to my house thoroughly trashed, and naturally I went to the police. It was dismissed out of hand as a prank gone wrong and forgotten about instead of a robbery." Slowly, she lowered her hand, face wet with tears. "Those scrolls that were stolen, were handed to my mother's side of the family for protection, to be hidden from the public, because the nature of those curses is truly heinous."

Lin removed the kerchief from his vest pocket, offering it to Suzume, much to the shock of the entirety of the SPR team, besides Naru. "Like a spirit kodoku."

Suzume dabbed at her eyes. "Yes… Shamefully, I didn't immediately connect the dots that that's what it was. This school is built on a cemetery, after all, so I assumed that it was just some stray spirits causing mischief. Then Orikiri-sama popped up in the Art club and among the first years, and things escalated. My suspicions grew stronger, and I foolishly confronted Sakauchi-kun about the incident at my house while at school, during a free period. He denied any involvement and even told his parents that I was harassing him. Bullying him. They threatened to sue me if I continued with such 'unbecoming behavior'. I never spoke to him again after that, and the rest… the rest you know."

Naru sighed. "So, you were just collateral damage, to cover his tracks thoroughly."

"I suspect it is just so, Shibuya-san." Suzume didn't flinch away from that truth. Face once again dry, she looked pretty, even with red-rimmed eyes, Mai noted. "I couldn't leave the school and by-product, the students, because of such vulnerability, but I was of little use either."

"Touching as all this is, what's going to happen to us?" Matsuyama demanded.

Naru paid him absolutely no attention. "Any solutions so far?" He asked of Lin.

"None so far."

"Is it possible to reverse the curse?"

"We could. But should we?" Lin's face remained impassive.

"We don't have a choice. Death may soothe a soul's pain, but if everyone knew what that truly means, no one would commit suicide. We'll reverse the curse."

Suzume closed her eyes, clutching the handkerchief in her hold.

"Reverse the curse….?" Mai repeated, incredulous.

"In other words, turn the curse back onto the original conjurers. Once the last spirit has devoured everything, time will run out and the kodoku will be complete. If that happens, death awaits Matsuyama and Yamaguchi. That would be cruel, even for him, and also, as I've said, Yamaguchi is merely collateral damage. Before we let that happen..." Naru explained.

"Ha ha ha ha ha… you're… you're going to help me? Ha ha, you are! I won't die after all hahaha…" Matsuyama was babbling, relieved at his turn of good fortune.

"Sensei, this is primarily your fault. Please keep that in mind."

That shut him up.

"But, Naru-chan. Sakauchi is already dead. How can we reverse the curse back onto a dead person?" Tokugawa inquired.

"You can't reverse the curse onto a dead man, but he's not the one who invoked the curse in the first place." Suzume answered instead. Naru nodded in agreement. "...It's the students."

"Wha… wait. What do you mean?" Mai's voice came out shakily.

"Yes. That's it exactly."

"No!" Mai interjected. "Stop it, Naru! This is wrong!"

"Would you rather see Matsuyama and Yamaguchi die?" Naru retorted. " _You're_ the one who's wrong. Those clueless students invoked the curse. If they are not punished, then by law, we are accomplices in murder. We'll be reversing the curse upon the students." He said with finality. "I understand that this is primarily Matsuyama's fault, but we must do what is fair, even with regret."

"But…" Mai tried to think of something to offer in counterpoint.

"Shibuya-san, if you reverse the curse on us, what will happen? Yamaguchi-sensei, do you know?"

Suzume is practically wringing the handkerchief now. "...There are a lot of people who invoked the curse. So it's very likely that the curse reversal will be split and the effect on each person will be limited. As an obscure curse that has not been used in literally decades, even centuries… I can only pray that that's true."

"We should all vote on this. There has to be another way." Matsuzaki piped up, voice low.

"I'm afraid not."

"It's okay, Sensei. You are a victim in this too." Yasuhara offered his best smile to Suzume who looked stricken. Then he bowed to Naru. "I'll agree to the curse reversal."

"What about Matsuyama!? Why save him at the expense of everyone else?! **He's** the only one who'll go unpunished!? And while I understand the circumstances, Yamaguchi-sensei was careless as well! _This is just wrong_!" Mai raged. Matsuyama looked put out, Suzume's face had become blank once again, not revealing her emotions.

"No matter how despicable a person someone is, that's no excuse to kill him. And while it's true that Yamaguchi was careless, it is without a doubt Sakauchi who manipulated the events to this extent."

"That's no good excuse to kill everyone else either!"

"Everyone must take responsibility for his or her own actions."

"But none of them understood the consequences!"

"Ignorance is no excuse." Naru looked at Mai, his eyes darkened with some unnameable emotion that caused her heart to squeeze with guilt and discomfort.

"I…. Naru, I hate everything you stand for." Mai declared.

"It's an honor to be despised by fools." Naru didn't look affected by the statement at all, merely collected the files. "Lin, begin the preparations."

"Yes, sir."

And at that moment, Suzume decided to quietly slip out of the classroom. Walking down the hallway, she's halfway to the steps before she hears someone calling her name. Exhaling, she turned to see that it's Shibuya and Lin. "Can I help you, Shibuya-san?"

"I don't know. Can you?" Naru retorted. "I know who you are...who you _really_ are."

"As do I, _Shibuya-san_." Suzume responded, a tight little smile on her lips. He grimaced and the smile became bitterly amused. "You're about ten years too young to try and extort or emotionally manipulate me. It might be cold comfort to you, but I did retrieve the stolen scrolls and documents that Sakauchi pilfered from my home."

"That is a relief," Naru admitted grudgingly.

"Since my pseudo student created this terrible situation, it falls onto me as his Master to correct his mistakes. Or to put it plainly, you have my support in this endeavor." When there's no response forthcoming, she continues down the stairs, "Good for all involved that your good looking assistant is an Onmyouji."

And then she's gone.

Naru opened his mouth. "Don't say anything." Lin insisted.  
There's just the faintest blush on his cheeks, hidden by his bangs

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this story, please leave comments, kudos, and bookmarks, share it with your friends <333


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